EPI Life – Mobile ECG monitoring – launched in Malaysia

Heartronics has launched it’s EPI Life service in conjunction with Maxis and Pantai Hospital in Malaysia.
It’s the brainchild of Dr. Michael Lim of Singapore and this regional innovation allows consumers signed up with the service to transmit their ECG (electrocardiogram) recorded by the special phone via mobile data for interpretation by trained specialists. The idea is that patients when they feel unwell, perhaps experiencing palpitations or dizziness which may indicate an abnormal heart rhythm, can now immediately send their ECG for expert review.
How much will it cost? Malaysianwireless has some details:

As the exclusive telco partner, Maxis will be providing customised service plans for the device, with ECG rates from as low as RM13. The device is retailed at RM2,299 each, which will be available at selected Maxis Centres including KLCC, TTDI, Sunway Pyramid and The Gardens. Maxis One Club (MOC) members will be able to enjoy a RM600 discount if they sign up by the end of September, and a RM300 discount thereafter.

Being “exclusive” to Maxis, I guess that leaves out other Telco subscribers – unless the device can connect via Bluetooth to another mobile phone, enabling non-Maxis users to use the service. I tried to download the device’s Technical Specs sheet but at this point in time it’s a 404 (file not found error) so that’s not very impressive (webmaster of Heartronics wake up!). In fact perhaps the makers of EPI should think of coming up with just a Bluetooth capable device which can do the ECG recording but connects with a mobile phone for data transmission, and not a device with built-in phone functionality per se. This is because many users would already have a smartphone and may not want to carry around a second phone just for this service.
All in all, it sounds like a good idea if the service works well (at least for Maxis customers for now).